Beneath the River's Surface
by Bbbleblish
Summary: 17 yr old Chihiro only has slithers of the memories from that time. It was decided that she must forget but she can't thrive in her mundane life. Something is missing. The countdown begins to Chihiro's death. Only in the other world can she find...
1. Chapter 1  Living In Reality

**Beneath the River's Surface - First Part: Before Death**

_Chihiro Ogino has lost all her memories about the place beyond that abandoned carnival tunnel but that doesn't mean her memories want to be forgotten._

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Chapter 1- Living in Reality

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A violent thumping is coming from within my chest. I suck in a breath to call for help but instead swallow water, making my lungs sting. I panic. My chest convulses as I regretfully gaze up at the filtered sunlight beyond my outstretched fingertips. I desperately need to reach the surface, but it's no use because I don't know how to swim. And so, like a stone, I sink further into the river's murky depths.

In a fleeting moment I'm consumed by a comfortable feeling that beckons me to sleep, so I close my eyes. Enveloped in darkness, I see images of my parents' smiling faces as those thumping beats start to slow right down.

Then, without warning, a powerful surge of cool, clean water rushes all around me. It feels like I have been thrust into a whirlpool or a freshwater slip stream. My eyes fly open and I'm confronted by a pair of enigmatic green eyes boring into mine, just inches away from my face.

"Ogino-san, if you can manage to stay awake through a single one of my lessons it would be a miracle," calls Sawada-sensei.

A hand takes hold of my arm, which is propped up under my chin for support, and pulls it out from under me. I don't get a chance to shift my weight and I fall forward, my face connecting with the hard wooden surface of the school desk. Still slightly disoriented, I rub my crushed nose and suck in a breath of musty classroom air. Immediately the watery depths evaporate. Realization hits me, I'm overwhelmed by a sinking feeling as I become aware of my surroundings. I lift my head ashamedly to the meet the gaze of twenty bemused pairs of eyes. Sawada-sensei however, is not amused. He grunts with annoyance and wears a look that reminds me of a stern Gorilla. I blush fervently and lower my eyes but he doesn't let up.

"Sleeping in class again? We need to have a talk about this when the lesson ends, Ogino-san," grumbles Sawada in a quiet but disapproving tone.

"I'm sorry S-sensei," I splutter, whilst bowing my head so low my nose touches the surface of the school desk again.

He lets out a disappointed sigh but merely beckons the class's attention back the characters on the whiteboard.

"How shameful, caught snoozing in class…" snickers a voice.

"…it's because she's a slacker," mutters one of the girls.

"…and a weirdo," adds another with muffled laughter.

I don't bother to look up and see which of my classmates were involved in the chatter. Instead, I try to block out their voices. Eventually the attention is finally shifted from me and I feel relieved. I smooth down my tousled fringe and shoot a side-glance to my friend, Yukiko Inoue. I wonder if she was the one who had pulled my arm out from under me. I throw her a questioning look but she doesn't seem to notice my gaze.

Inoue-san is someone who evokes awe from those of us who surround her. You could say that she's more like some kind of other-worldly creature than just a girl. Well, she's not the type to have long conversations over the phone with about cute boys or fashion or any unnecessary things. Actually, we have that in common.

To everyone else, Inoue is completely aloof. However, on the rare occasions that she's been in a fight, she can move like a cracking whip. Her fighting prowess, though, seems to intimidate the other students (especially the boys), so they avoid her. There's a rumour going around school that Inoue has a secret Dojo in her house and her father trains her.

Apparently, her father is a strict Jujitsu master, and he makes his daughter train everyday as if she were a son. According to the rumours, that's why she's so cold and unfriendly. But that's completely false. Truth is, Inoue is basically self-sufficient and her parents are never home. They travel a lot overseas. In fact, I've never met them. And she's not unfriendly, just reserved.

Once again, she is wearing her usual ambiguous expression. I can't tell if she is concentrating on what Sawada-sensei is writing on the whiteboard or if she is thinking about something completely different. I decide follow her example and stare at the board, but the information is not connecting in my brain. Instead, I'm mulling over that strange dream.

I've been having odd dreams for a few months now, so I'm not at all shocked. But I've never had a dream in which I drown before. Just thinking about the dream again leaves me with a deep sense of nostalgia…but how can that be? I've never experienced anything like that in real life. So why does it feel like more of a memory than just a bad dream?

I think about those emerald coloured eyes and a shiver crawls up my spine.

Something in my gut wants me to follow that train of thought. But to where? I don't recall ever seeing those eyes before either.

I think about whom they could belong to. Maybe the eyes belong to a singer on TV? Or maybe a Prince from a fairy tale? Or they could belong to a long forgotten child neighbour? However, nothing comes to mind.

Sawada-sensei dismisses the class seven minutes later than what he was supposed to. He had prattled on about how the economical downturn of the 1990's was due to the mass overproduction spurred on by the booming 1980's.

_No way! I have actually learned something after all!_

As my weary classmates file out of the room, I hope that Sawada has forgotten about wanting to talk to me, and I attempt to leave unseen.

"Um, Ogino-san, wait please." He looks up at me wearing that same disapproving look from earlier.

I groan and send Inoue a look that asks her to wait for me outside. She returns it with a blank glance but obliges me with a cordial nod.

Sawada impatiently runs his fingers through his thinning, pepper-grey hair. I quietly notice that the dark grey knitted sweater and neatly ironed tan trousers he is wearing seem to compliment the classroom's décor. Perhaps after I leave he would simply melt into the furniture only to emerge again for our next lesson, like a ghost.

He hadn't changed in six years. I know this because before he went to work in the high school section, Sawada-sensei was my fifth grade teacher. Unsure of what to say I remain silent and let my gaze fall to the floor. He finally spoke.

"I have already reviewed your report card, and I'm afraid that you are in the lowest range of the scores. The troubling part is that you were at the very top of the class when you first started here."

I feel embarrassed by this revelation, but I shouldn't be surprised.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, Ogino-san?" he asks with a slight hope that I'll have a very good reason for turning into such a rotten apple.

What can I say?

_"Sir, I haven't been sleeping at all because my nightmares are filled witches and ghosts…I can't concentrate at school...and also the anxiety of not knowing what to expect after I finish high school is really getting to me."_

No.

What's the point of saying something like that?

"No, sir," I ultimately answer.

He lets out an exasperated sigh of finality. Not looking up, I don't know if he is wearing that disappointed face again. Shame tugs at my stomach. I don't want to know if he's making the face or not.

"Please try harder. This is your last year of high school education and your most important one. Now is the time to decide the best path to launch you into adulthood."

"Yes, sir."

I bow, still not looking at Sawada and hastily make my way out of the room. I don't feel good at all about myself now. I know I could do a whole lot better in school but…there is just something holding me back. I don't know how else to put it, but it's like I can't move forward into adulthood. I dream only of the past and never of the future. It's unfathomable to even picture myself grown up with children, my own home and…a husband. I'm not even sure if I want any of those things yet.

I get a familiar stab of anxiety in my chest. Instinctively, I rub the sore spot and decide to push away the thoughts for now.

In the hallway outside the classroom, Inoue is leaning against a wall, and next to her is Keisuke Fujiwara, my other friend. Kei-chan is facing the windowsill and is distracted by what appears to be a ladybug. He gently presses his fingertips to the ladybug's wings before it flutters away in annoyance. When he turns around he sees me and his face lights up.

"Heya Chihiro-sempai!"

His smiling face instantly makes me forget my worries. I beam at the short boy who, though only a year younger than me, could easily pass for five years younger. Kei-chan stands about a head shorter than me. His caramel hair has flecks of gold in it and hangs over his huge light brown eyes in a fashionable way. His bag is now packed with feathers that he must have collected on his way to school this morning. I look down and notice that the knees of his pants are covered in red dust similar to the dirt found at the park. I imagine that Kei-chan must have spotted a stray cat or dog in a tunnel and had crawled in after it. He is just fascinated with animals and plants, anything really. As a result every girl in school thinks he's adorable.

"Where are your legions of fans?" I tease.

"I had to give them the slip so that I could walk you two ladies home," he winks at me in a very 'I'm-a-total-pimp' kind of way.

I'm already used to this routine of his, so I smirk wryly and pat him on the head. He glares at me for inadvertently pointing out his shortness and pulls on my hair.

"Oi, you need a haircut. Get your mother to take you to the salon because you're beginning to look like a Keukegen monster!" he scolds.

"Keukegen? How rude," I scoff.

I resent his comment that I look like a mythological floating ball of hair. My hair isn't_ that_ long, but it reaches down my back. I just don't know what to do with it, so I'm resigned to put it up in a messy ponytail. Kei-chan undoes my ponytail and decides to tie my hair into a bow on my head like a present. I'm slightly annoyed, and I pry away his fussing fingers.

"Why should I care what others think about me. I'm not looking to impress anyone."

I scowl at him and start to mess up his carefully styled hair-do.

"Argh! Don't mess it up!" he howls in horror.

He tries to protect his hair, but my fingers are much faster than his blocking hands. Kei-chan runs over to the reflection of the windows and examines the damage. He gasps.

"Look what you did! I look like some clown now." He frowns.

I snigger and try to undo the knot he made of my hair. For a minute I had completely forgot that Inoue-san was standing by the window completely silent. She looks like she is lost in thought again.

"Inoue-san, are you feeling okay?" I ask.

"Yes."

Kei-chan's round eyes lock onto Inoue. He hovers over to her like a worrying bee to invade her personal space.

"Inoue-sempai~ Do you have a sore stomach? You look ill…" he says whilst peering at her with caring eyes.

Her palm moves like a flash of lightning and slams into his face.

"Gah! Wha's dat fo? Why a you so gru'py?" Kei-chan says indignantly whilst rubbing his nose.

"Let's walk home now, you two!" I say, waving at them, already a few steps in front.

We walk down the highly polished corridor which is almost deserted except for a few loitering students. The afternoon sun floods through the windows, bathing us in gold. A disgruntled Kei-chan is still rubbing his sore face. He is giving silent daggers to Inoue, who doesn't pay the slightest attention to him.

Outside is still quite warm for an autumn afternoon. The maple trees which line the asphalt court are shedding leaves in a variety of golden hues. Out across the field, I can see that our school's soccer team is already practicing for their upcoming season. They're weaving soccer balls around orange cones with precision. A group of girls are huddled close by, watching the session. They giggle when one of the soccer players looks over to them and flashes a cheesy smile, and then they roar with laughter when a rogue ball hits him square in the face.

The school gate is covered in bushes of pink chrysanthemums with petals that are beginning to wilt and fall off as the winter season approaches. I'm feeling better as I pick up their scent. Actually, right now I feel quite content for the first time all day because I'm walking beside my two friends.

Since arriving in Kyoto at 11 years old, they were the only two people who I'd bonded with. It's strange how I had met them both on the same day. I remember on that day I was so lonely, sitting on a bench at lunch time after being told by a mean girl named Mami Koike that I was a liar. Mami Koike already looked like a high-school girl and always got in trouble for wearing make-up at school. At 11, she already wanted a boyfriend, and a child's fantasies weren't interesting to her anymore, which was the complete opposite of me. Back then I believed in spirits and fantastical beings, and I would argue with anyone who'd dispute me of their existence. The other grade-schoolers started to call me weird, so I really felt like an outsider.

So anyway, I was moping on the bench wishing I could move back to Sapporo to see my old friends, and then a small sobbing boy with tears and boogers running down his face came tearing across the courtyard before falling on his knees. He was being bullied by this big jerk named Ichiba and his cronies.

"Ahahaha! What a cry baby! He's so pathetic, I'm surprised he hasn't pissed himself yet," cackled Ichiba.

Students were staring, but there were no teachers around at all. Nobody had the courage to stand up for the poor crying boy.

"Leave him alone," I warned.

I stood in front of Kei-chan, who looked up at me in confusion.

The guys just hooted with amusement because I didn't look intimidating at all.

"Is this your little girlfriend, Fujiwara?" asked Ichiba incredulously.

I glared at the bully, my jaw clenched with agitation. I was utterly fearless. Stupidly fearless.

"I don't know why you feel the need to bring down others, but it's time for you cut it out!" I spat vehemently.

Ichiba grew tired of my bravado and said, "Well I don't care if you are a girl. I'm going to beat you too."

Not knowing what to do, I just stood over Kei-chan protectively while the gang closed in on us. I shut my eyes and waited to be hit. Then, out of nowhere she came as swift as lightning, and forceful as a cracking whip. She threw Ichiba over like a sack of field grain rice. Then Ichiba sat up and bawled his eyes out. He was a bully, that was true, but he was also an 11 year old boy. From that day on I've been in awe of Inoue's formidable grace.

We've reached Tokoyama Bridge already. Kei-chan is reciting pop tunes enthusiastically as he skips alongside Inoue and I like a buoyant child. He spots a group of grade school kids in the distance who seem to be playing with a dog and runs ahead of us. I smile warmly as the children accept him into their fold as if he was just another kid, patting the dog vigorously until the whites of its eyes are showing.

Inoue looks intently at me for a moment. I glance back at her and detect a flicker of concern behind her perpetually stoic demeanor.

"What's bothering you, Inoue-san?" I ask again.

She looks as if she wants to ask me something but isn't sure of how to ask it. It's very unlike her.

"Chihiro-san…what were you dreaming about earlier?" she finally says.

I'm taken aback by the direction of her questioning, and I'm not sure where to begin. But before I can answer her, she speaks again.

"You kept gurgling a lot…it sounded like you were drowning. Were you dreaming about drowning?" Inoue asks vacantly.

Not wanting to lie, but too embarrassed to say anything, I nod.

She didn't say any more on the matter. Instead she turns around and stares at some bushes.

"Do you see him?" she whispers.

How could Inoue possibly know about the boy with the green eyes? My heart thumps a little faster.

"See who?"

"The boy that's following us…" she adds.

_Eh?_

"Hey, Chihiro, look I found a centipede!" shouts Kei-chan.

Kei-chan had lost interest in the grade-schooler's dog and is now standing by some muddy rocks. He is giggling happily as he holds up a little writhing insect.

I turn back to Inoue, but she looks like she is lost in her own little world again.

Minutes later we say goodbye to Inoue as we reach her house. Her house is the most impressive brick building in the rich neighbourhood. I feel sad though, that she is going home to an empty place with nobody to say "welcome home" to her as she walks inside. Not that my life is any better. My folks are always out, but at least they come home eventually. Inoue didn't seem to mind the solitude though.

Kei-chan looks up at me and beams.

"I know my house is closer, but let me walk you home first, pretty lady." He winks.

We grin stupidly at each other. It just doesn't seem right when Kei-chan says something flirtatious like that because he's so cute like a child.

"Why are you laughing? I'm hot. You should be grateful that I'm in your presence. Don't y'know girls are lining down the block to get some of this," he says seriously and points to himself.

"Where? I don't see any girls lining up," I say cheekily, and I search the street pretending to look for some hot girls.

"I think I saw one hiding in a trash can a way back," he adds jokingly.

After a minute or two he stops walking and frowns at me.

"I thought I could at least count _you_ to think that I am cool." Kei-chan says.

I spot the silver trail running from his left nostril and sigh.

"Kei-chan, your allergies are playing up again." I pull out a handful of tissues from my bag and press them to his nose.

"ank'you," he sniffles behind the clean white tissues sullenly.

"And I do think you're cool," I smirk.

Before we know it, we both can't stop grinning at each other again.

"Ew gross, they're gonna kiss!" shouts Soichirou, an underclassman who is standing behind us. Soichirou is just another bully surrounded by the usual mindless cronies. His joys in life are the fine hairs growing on his chin and the thickening of muscles on his arms. He is as simple as that.

"Shove off, Soichirou," I warn.

I grab Kei-chan's hand and begin to walk off in the direction of home, fearing what would happen next.

Kei-chan evades my grasp and puffs out his little chest protectively.

"Bring it on, Soichirou, you ugly turd!" jeers Kei-chan.

Uh-oh. I was hoping to avoid this kind of confrontation.

"Whadya gonna do twerp? That scary girl you always hang with isn't here to protect you this time," laughs Soichirou. His cronies grunt in unison.

Kei-chan narrows his eyes fearlessly at the guys. I attempt one more time to pull Kei-chan away from danger, but like a rock, he isn't budging.

"You wanna fight then, good! I won't back down," Soichirou sneers.

Then, a glass bottle suddenly flies past Soichirou's arm and shatters onto the sidewalk. A tall boy I recognize to be Ryuichi Kibayashi, from class 2-b steps out from behind a tree. Everyone stares at him in confusion, wondering where he had come from. He takes his ear phones out and casually backhands Soichirou across the head. I notice that he towers over the bullies too.

"Oi you! This isn't your fight, Kibayashi!" Soichirou squeals.

"Yeah!" adds Kei-chan angrily, his fists clenched.

"What fight? Four fat bullies picking on two scrawny kids hardly seems fair,"

At once there were cries of "We're not fat!" and "It's muscles, you fool," as well as a "I'm not scrawny!" coming from an aggravated Kei-chan.

It seems that Kibayashi is trying to be helpful but in the end insulted us all.

Kibayashi doesn't pay attention to either boy because he is looking at me.

"Leave_ her_ alone," he says blushing.

"Ugh, why should I listen to the likes of you? Everybody knows you're a creepy stalker." Soichirou grunts and thrusts a stout finger at me.

"It's kind of gross how you're always stalking _that _girl." Soichirou adds.

Wha-? This boy, who I know little about, has been following me? I blush and look up at Kibayashi who seems to turn redder before my eyes.

…_why?_

"Ah…um no, I haven't been doing that!"

A deeper crimson blush settles on his cheeks.

_EEEHH?_

Soichirou laughs wickedly and then announces to his cronies, "I'm getting bored with these people…let's go kick in some vending machines."

The cronies cheer, and they all retreat.

Kibayashi finally looks at me with a gaze that leaves me feeling oddly uncomfortable.

During this awkward moment Kei-chan walks off sulkily, and I rip my eyes away from the tall boy named Kibayashi to chase after my friend.

Kei-chan is already several feet in front of me.

"Wait Kei-cha-"

He whips around and glares at me menacingly.

"Don't call me Kei-chan! I'm a guy!"

His angry expression falls immediately.

"Well, what kind of guy lets a girl use the 'chan' honorific for him? What kind of guy has two girls for best friends?" he mopes.

He turns around to hide his quivering bottom lip, "What kind of guy is so puny he can't protect his friend,"

Kei-chan always talks this way after a confrontation that challenged the manly perception he has of himself. Even though I've seen him act like this before, it always hurts to see my friend upset.

We remain silent for the rest of the journey to my house until we stop at the front gate. He had managed to hide his face from me up until that point. I peer into his face, too I see how gloomy he looks.

"You shouldn't talk like that Kei-chan…" I admonish him.

We stand in the street, and the sun is already going down. An orange glow falls on his sullen face.

"I don't care what anybody says, I know that you are a good _guy _Keisuke-" I say thoughtfully and then I put my hand on his chest, "…and it's the opinions of your friends that count…"

He seems to be stirred by my words.

"Kay thanks…" he grunts.

He is probably still feeling self conscious about his manhood. I pat him on the head with a smile. Then I turn around and walk toward my house.

He silently watches me go, but before I can get inside the door he calls after me again.

"Chihiro! I want to tell you something! I-I'm not what you..." he must regret the words that are coming out of his mouth as he is saying them because he stops himself.

"Huh? What was that?" I ask confused.

"Nothing,…uh bye!"

Kei-chan then smiles at me nervously and quickly runs down the road before I could question him further.

_**What?**_

I turn back to the front door of my blue house and ask myself again…

…what is going on with those two? First Inoue wanted to question me but didn't, and now Kei-chan wanted to tell me something but didn't…

What are they hiding from me?

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	2. Chapter 2 Fragments of Memories

**Beneath the River's Surface - First Part: Before Death**

Chapter 2 – Fragments of Memories

A.N. once you to Wintervines for being the beta for this chapter :)

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It's already a quarter to nine and I'm home alone. The house is cold and dreary, and I'm curled up on the couch watching TV. Well, sort of… The television is blaring away in the background, but I'm too busy texting Kei-chan who tells me that he's really bored too.

My textbook titled, "Economics in Modern Japan" lies neglected on the floor beside me. I had thrown it aside angrily because the information wasn't sinking in. I think I'd have better luck trying to read poetry in English than my textbook. To avoid reading, I managed to finish all the housework instead. There isn't a single thing left to scrub, wash or sweep.

I had made dinner earlier too: Tsukune dumplings and Natto for my parents. They haven't come home yet, so the pot is just sitting on the kitchen stove. To be honest, I couldn't bring myself to eat alone.

Mum is probably driving home from the salon, and Dad rang earlier to say that he is still at a hostess club with his work colleagues. Dad can really splurge money at those hostess clubs,) so I'm a little worried that a fight between my parents is brewing. He is known for shouting his buddies' rounds of beer, sake and expensive, imported Cuban cigars. It seems that proving his wealth is really important to Dad, but we are only middle class and it gets a bit embarrassing when Dad splurges too much. Dad's workmates all think of him as a hero for shouting them, but Mum doesn't. One time, Mum got so mad at Dad for blowing 20,000 ¥ in one night that she broke his cell phone. But what made Mum even more furious was the time Dad spent a quarter of his weekly earnings so that a pretty hostess would stay and entertain for the whole night. Mum didn't talk to him for a whole week after that.

A noise comes from the front entrance room. Mum's home.

I hear her clattering around in the dark front room. She is probably kicking off her heels and not bothering to line them neatly next to the other footwear again.

"I'm home!" she calls.

"Welcome back." I greet her traditionally but follow it up with a yawn.

Mum wanders into the lounge room still in high spirits. I notice that she is sporting new magenta coloured nails. Mum has a smile on her face because she's probably remembering a bit of juicy gossip that the ladies from the salon had shared with her. I'd ask her about it, but gossip just isn't interesting to me.

"Ah! Chihiro-chan! Is Daddy back yet?"

"Nope, but he did call at 7 o'clock. It looks like he's going to be late." I tell her.

Dad didn't say that he was going to be late, but I remember how pleased my Dad had sounded over the phone. He was just enjoying himself too much to come home anytime soon.

Mum's good mood falters for a moment, but she quickly hides her anger from me as she sits down. Then she turns to me and smiles.

"Chihiro, will you come by the salon on Thursday afternoon? We really could do with the extra help," says Mum in a pleading kind of way.

I get the sense that there is some sort of agenda behind her request, but I'm too lazy to figure it out this time.

"Yeah sure," I groan ambivalently.

On the TV, a news report flashes up on the screen. I turn my full attention to the broadcast as I await a certain story that I wanted to hear more about. The NHK news reporter begins to speak in his usual professional tone.

"…In other news, controversial business mogul Osamu Kankuro has finally succeeded in buying out the sacred land rights to Kamiura province from its original owners. There is no doubt that Kankuro will build a new factory and warehouse district in the area. Residents around Kamiura province are said to be in an uproar, but many Kyoto city dwellers believe the deal will be beneficial to the economy. Here is a statement made by Kankuro earlier today."

The screen cuts to a short man standing on a podium with cameras flashing in his face. He is wearing a two-sizes-too-small grey suit. His thinning hair is slicked back neatly, and there is loose skin under his chin that wobbles when he talks.

Then I notice the absolutely stunning woman standing at his side. Is she his wife? Or maybe she is his secretary? The woman is fashionably dressed in what looks like French couture and blue sapphire earrings. Her dark hair falls down around her like sheets of silk, and her skin is a luminescent pearl colour. This woman is simply radiant next to the drab Kankuro-san.

"She's beautiful, ne!" coos Mum.

I glance over at my mother, and I see the look of awe on her face.

"And look at that dress!...It looks fairly pricey, ne, Chihiro-chan!" she gasps.

"Yes, yes but Mum…don't you think that this Kankuro guy is doing the wrong thing by taking the land?" I ask.

I feel confused by the whole thing. To me, this Kankuro guy…just feels like a bad guy to me. To my surprise my mother puts some thought into answering my question.

"People say that he's a tyrant, but you know, creating jobs for more Japanese isn't really a bad thing, is it? Especially when you think about all of the workers who are now redundant because of fancy machinery that can do their jobs more efficiently."

Mum taps her chin with her forefinger as if contemplating to let me in on a juicy piece of gossip or not. Then she adds, "Oh! And did you know that the reason Harumo's husband had that mental break down was because he had been made redundant and lost his job? Isn't that just terrible?" Mum reveals.

I sense more of intrigue about the story than actual sympathy coming from my mother and decide to end the conversation quickly. I've always felt funny about discussing people's private details behind their backs. I decide to feign tiredness, and I excuse myself. Mum doesn't seem to mind though because as soon get up off the couch, her phone rings.

"Oh hi, Harumo-san! No, I haven't heard about that. Tell me! What did she say?" she exclaims excitedly as I walk out of the room.

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I fill the bath with warm water, and I slowly pour a nice smelling bath salt in too for good measure.

Whilst waiting for the tub to fill I catch a glimpse of myself in the foggy mirror. I frown. It's hard not to make comparisons of myself against those curvy AV gravure models. Every guy in school seems to fantasize about the models, but very few teenage girls are built that way. Especially me. I'm just a shapeless girl with twiggy arms and legs and not much of a chest to speak of. The only thing I've gained over the last few years is a little bit of height and light brown hair that reaches halfway down my back.

After scrubbing away the daily grit, I wade my way into the massive traditional style bathtub. The steam rises around me, and I sink into the water until my lips are level with the surface.

I rub the scented water into my skin and lift up the transparent liquid so that it escapes through my fingers. Immediately, my thoughts go straight to the fact that I'm failing school. I just don't know what's to come after high school. What exactly can I even do?

Maybe I'll be a salary man like Dad and dedicate my life to work.

Nah. My grades aren't good enough for that. So maybe I'll allow my Mother to set me up with one of her friend's sons, and I can become an obedient house wife and mother. That type of thing wouldn't suit me either!

These thoughts confuse me so much that I hug my knees tightly to my chest and I rock myself. I just can't breathe whenever I think about the future. I have no clue who I'm supposed to become. And the truth is…

…I'm terrified of the unknown.

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I hop into bed. The sheets are still cold, but at least they smell crisp and clean. Now in complete darkness I inhale and exhale slowly. I try to picture those green eyes again. Something about them resonates deep within me. I wish I knew who they belonged to.

_I must try to remember!_

I decide to search my brain and push against boundaries of my mind as far they can go. I know something is there. I don't know what _it_ is exactly, but I can just feel it but not connect to it. I push even harder. And then…

And then, I'm rewarded.

All of a sudden an image flashes vividly in my mind like a still frame. But unlike a still photo, all of my senses are engaged at the same time and I become Eleven years old again.

The image flickers a few times like an old movie before it really kicks into gear, and then all remnants of my bedroom melt away.

Now I find myself in a plush garden on a nice sunny day. In front of me are rows of green cabbages and big juicy cobs of corn. Behind me are little pink and purple Begonia bushes , and there are also wild yellow butterflies fluttering above my head. I notice that I'm dressed in a baggy pink uniform, sitting on the ground with my knees to my chest. I can't stop shaking because I'm riddled with anxiety, and I bury my face into my knees.

_Why do I feel so anxious...?_

The answer comes to me straight away. Because of my parents…they are in danger and I don't know how to help them…

Approaching footsteps make soft pattering noises on the grass and then stop beside me. The Eleven year old me is not surprised by them and doesn't bother to look up. I'm still consumed by a numbness that is eating away at me from the inside out. I keep my face hidden until a boy finally speaks.

"Hide these," he urges me.

I look up to see a pale hand holding out a neatly folded bundle of clothes that look oddly familiar.

_Are these my clothes…they…they must be! _

I gasp in surprise and grab them.

"I hadn't expected to see my clothes ever again." I exclaim.

I bring the warm bundle up to my face and breathe in the scent. My clothes smell so good, like fresh cotton and pine.

Then I look up gratefully to meet the eyes of the boy who had returned my clothes to me.

It immediately hits me like bolt of nostalgia. A boy, about age twelve stands beside me. His dazzling eyes are a brilliant emerald green. My heart quickens with recognition, and I examine his clothing briefly. He is dressed in a traditional white robe-like garment with an indigo coloured sash tied around his waist. Baggy cerulean coloured leggings compliment his hair which is the colour of he ocean on a turbulent day, a dark shade of teal. The cut of his hair makes him look just like a prince from the Heian period. In fact, every elegant mannerism he makes seems very prince-like to me.

His name is…

…_Haku._

At least this is the name my mind offers to me.

"I thought they were gone," I murmur, clutching my clothes.

The boy smiles serenely at me and says, "You'll need them to get home." He then sits down next to me and pulls out of his pocket a parcel of rice balls wrapped neatly in rice paper.

It's at this point that I remember a card which had been stashed in my clothes pile. I take it out and examine it. On it are drawings of flowers, love hearts and a smiling girl.

"This was a farewell card," I tell Haku.

_But what am I doing with it? _

I examine the card and it says, "_Chihiro, be well, let's meet again sometime._" It's from Rina-san. _My childhood friend! _

I read the name on the top of the card aloud again.

"Chi-hi-ro."

_Chihiro? Who's that?_

And then like a landslide it dawns on me.

"Chihiro. That's my name!" I gasp.

I turn to Haku with bewilderment in my eyes, and he returns my gaze with a faint smile and nods. "Yubaba rules others by stealing their names," he says whilst not breaking eye contact with me.

I'm surprised to realize this, but it just seems unfathomable. _How could_ _I have forgotten my own name for even a second?_

I'm still speechless, and Haku continues to speak with urgency, "Your name is Sen here, but keep your real name a secret."

"She almost got mine. I nearly turned into Sen," I grimace.

The light momentarily dims in Haku's eyes, and then the corners of his lips turn down. "If she steals your name, you'll never find your way home," he warns.

There is genuine sadness in the boy's words. He turns away from me, and his face drops as if remembering something painful.

"I no longer remember my real name," Haku confesses with a deep sense of regret.

"Haku is not your real name?" I ask incredulously.

He doesn't answer. Instead, he turns to me again and gives me a melancholy smile; there is no joy in his eyes. My chest fills with sorrow for the boy.

"But it's strange, I remember yours," he muses. Wonderment fills his expression again and at that moment his eyes are a vivid green. I'm confused. _What does he mean by that?_

After a long moment Haku opens the rice paper parcel on his lap and holds up a rice ball in front of my face.

"Go ahead and eat. You must be hungry."

I don't think that I can stomach food right now, especially when I feel so anxious about my parents. My insides feel like petrified wood, so I turn away from him.

"I put a spell on it to give you back your strength," Haku insists.

He continues to hold out the food until I'm forced to take it.

I decide to take the smallest bite just to oblige him. It's just plan rice, but it's good! Actually no, it's better than good. I immediately take another bite, feeling my insides coming back to life again.

….and then another mouthful and another.

Warm fat tears start to blur my vision and roll down my cheeks. I gulp down the wholesome rice until every bite is gone, and I start to feel my strength return.

I become so overwhelmed that I can barely stop myself from sobbing uncontrollably. I end up bawling until my chest hurts. Haku allows me to cry and to let out all of my frustrations. He puts his arm around me supportively. At that moment I feel grateful to have his help. For some reason I felt closer to him then I would a blood brother.

"You've had a hard time…eat some more," he urges and then holds out the two remaining rice balls.

I wipe away my tears and grab the rice balls with both hands. Hunger has finally returned, and I stuff the food into my mouth gratefully until they are gone.

"Feel better now?" Haku asks with concern still lingering in his eyes. I stare back at him with quiet reverence and nod. This seems to make him happy, so he's smiling as he gazes out over the flourishing farmlands.

His arm is still wrapped around my shoulder reassuringly, and now that I feel calm I become aware of his scent of orange blossoms and white plums. I stare at his smiling face and a confusing feeling flutters in my stomach. Haku notices my gaze and stares back at me with a worried frown. I can feel my cheeks redden, probably out of embarrassment from the whole ordeal. He then takes out a cloth from inside his robes and carefully wipes the tears on my face away.

"There." Haku says with smirk of satisfaction. Then he adds, "We must go back now."

.

The morning sun peers through my window. I open my bleary eyes, and I roll onto my back so that I can stretch out.

_Oh damn…_

"Oh Damn!" I exclaim, shooting straight up off the bed.

I had been trying to remember some hidden memory, but instead I just ended up falling asleep and having one of those weird dreams again. This one featured the green eyed boy, but it ended up being too fantastical to be real. I lay back down feeling slightly disappointed…

The boy with the green eyes must not be real after all, but just a figment of my imagination.

.

.

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	3. Chapter 3 The Warning

_AN: First of all YAAAY!...*cough* erm, I'm back to writing fanfics and I want to get this story underway much more quickly before I focus on the others so stick with it and thank you for your patience. Thank you to Wintervines for being the beta of this story!_

_

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_

**Beneath the River's Surface - First Part: Before Death**

Chapter 3 – The Warning.

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As the morning sun heats up the foggy kitchen windows, I'm occupying myself with the knobs on our new high-tech stove. I scowl at the complex stove which continues to beep randomly and without warning. Dad is fascinated with high-tech gadgets, so when Mum asked to have the kitchen renovated, he went a little overboard. I sigh. If only we still had the old stuff. Then maybe the water would be boiling by now.

Eventually an aroma of instant Enoki broth starts to fill the house, and it's not long before Dad comes stumbling through the kitchen door looking famished and grumpy. He winces and starts to massage his lower back with his thumb. I realise that he must have spent the night on the couch. There is no doubt that my parents are arguing again over Dad's habit of spending money at hostess clubs. He meets my knowing gaze with ignorance because he thinks that I'm not aware of their quiet arguing. We don't talk about that kind of stuff as a family.

"Ah…Chihiro-chan. Ju-just fell asleep on the couch again…reading, you know," mumbles Dad.

He quickly takes a seat and waits for me to pour him a cup of Ko-cha. I decide to go along with the whole façade.

"Oh, I see. Was it a good book?"

Dad nods once but avoids my question by taking a long swig of the tea I had just poured for him.

After a few minutes Mum walks into the kitchen with damp hair and dressed in her pink robe. Her sharp eyes lock onto my Father. She looks like she is about to explode with anger. I greet her cordially, and Mum turns to me. Her mouth unwillingly contorts into the fakest smile of all time.

"Oh, Chihiro-chan, you've made breakfast! Thank you," she chimes.

Her syrupy voice sounds forced, so I decide to humour her as well.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Er yeah, good, good."

_So this is what it means to be an adult. Faking happiness for the sake of others? So that others can say "At least they're a functioning family unit". It all sounds rife to me._

I ignore the burning stares exchanged by my parents and pour threes portions of boiled Tofu and Enoki broth into expensive stone bowls. After a silent minute my parents loosen up and appreciatively eat their meals.

"Chihiro, do you know remember Kenichi Yamada-san?" Dad says with his mouth full.

I immediately detect his thinly veiled motives.

"Er yeah, he's a drinking buddy of yours-"

Dad quickly cuts in because Mum's face turns sour at the mention of "drinking buddy".

"Well as it turns out, Yamada's son, Sho-kun, has gotten into Tokyo University. Do you remember him?"

I glare at my father who is now grinning innocently.

"You know Chihiro-chan, your father and I started dating at your age," says my Mother more suggestively.

After a few seconds of not responding to her, she impatiently adds, "Perhaps there is a boy you like at school?"

I'm annoyed at my parents' meddling ways, so I irritably slurp down my soup before adding, "No, there is no-one I am interested in."

.

It's Friday afternoon, and I'm working at Fukuoka Fishing Park (my part-time job) which is hidden away on the fringe of the city but still close enough that there's a clear view of the mirror-like skyscrapers gleaming on the Eastern horizon. The park is a place for anyone living a stressful existence to come and unwind. Recreational catch and release fishing is really therapeutic.

Once again, I'm on my hands and knees vigorously scrubbing down the wooden boardwalks that intersect through the fishing ponds. It's a job that I don't really mind doing. In fact, I find hard work enjoyable once you get into the right mindset.

A giggling girl breaks my concentration, and I look over my shoulder to see a cute couple of high schoolers sitting at a pond. The girl is the embodiment of cuteness, and I grimly look down at myself. I'm covered in soap suds, grit and there is a fine sheen of sweat covering my skin thanks to humid weather and hard labour. I acknowledge to myself that I must look worlds apart from that kind of girl.

I finish scrubbing all the boardwalks and skimming the slimy leaves out of all of the ponds in record time. My boss, Fukuoka-san gives me that 'How did you do all that so quickly' look again and asks me to man the counter while he talks to a few of the regulars.

.

As I busy myself sorting through the cash register and organising the books. Somebody is standing in front of me and clears their throat to get my attention.

"U-um…"

Startled, I look up to see…Ryuichi Kibayashi-san.

_EH?_

I'm shocked to see him here, at the place I work, and I only manage to stare back at him with a perplexed look.

"I p-p-place…is fishing fun, yes?" he splutters.

Kibayashi-san manages to nervously jumble up his words.

More customers ready to return their fishing rods clamber through the door, so I force myself to speak.

"Pardon me? I'm sorry, Kibayashi-san, I don't know what you are saying…" I tell him.

He just looks down at the floor as if wishing to be anywhere else but standing in front of me. I don't know what to do but bow my head in apology because I sense that I'm the one making him so uncomfortable.

A salary man is lined up behind Kibayashi-san, and he shoots me an impatient glare. I try to coax Kibayashi-san into telling me what it is that he wants.

"Er…how many units would you like to fish?"

Kibayashi-san looks up at me with bewilderment in his eyes, and I'm taken aback by his expression. I begin to unconsciously wring my hands over the spot on my shirt that is covered in soapy water and dirt.

"Um…well each unit represents 15 minutes, and you can buy up to 10 units…" I mumble.

Still nothing comes from Kibayashi-san. The salary man behind him interrupts our little staring match.

"I don't have time to be waiting around like this!" he grumbles.

The man then puts his hand on Kibayashi-san's shoulder causing him to jump.

"Show some spirit, boy," encourages the man.

This causes Kibayashi to snap out of his state of incoherency, and he abruptly blurts out something that I don't expect.

"Ogino-san, I haven't come here to fish. I just wanted to ask you if you'd go on a date with me sometime."

_What the…? Did he just…? No._

_NO._

"No, I can't do that! I'm sorry, Kibayashi-san," I snap.

I had aggressively shouted it out without meaning to, and as soon as I say the words I immediately regret my brashness. I sense intrigue glinting in the eyes of the other people accumulating in the room. My rejection registers over Kibayashi-san's face, which falls flat for a second, but then he recovers with an obviously awkward smile.

"Ah, t-that's ok then. I'm sorry to have bothered you at work, Ogino-san," he grins while backing away from me quickly.

All at once I want to make him stop. I want to apologize from being so blunt, for rejecting him in front of a room full of strangers. I want to warn him that he is about to trip over!

"Wait!" I call.

But it's too late. Kibayashi takes a step back and falls on the impatient salary man's fishing gear. I dart over form behind the counter to help Kibayashi-san pick up the fishing gear, and I notice the mortified expression across his face. He politely bows to me and the irritated man before escaping out of the door.

_I wasn't prepared for something like that. Should I have been more sensitive? _

I scratch the side of my face and stare out the door that Kibayashi-san had just exited before returning to the customers.

That bully Soichirou's words come back to my mind. He said that Kibayashi-san had an interest in me? So maybe I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was. Maybe I was too rash with my rejection? I don't know him, but he seems alright. During lunch time I sometimes see him sitting by himself on the other side of the courtyard completely lost in his music, and I have overheard a few girls in my class talking about him once. They said that he was kind of handsome and mysterious.

I'd have to agree…

But… I can't seem to deny that saying 'no' felt so right.

The salary man kneels down and picks up something off the ground. He then places a red and black leather wallet in my hands.

"That boy dropped this," he says with a sigh. My eyes widen.

_Oh…_

.

On my way home I decide to prepare Butabara curry for dinner and so find myself wondering around Tochinigi ward. The streets are filled with workers trying to get home to their families, and they push past me gruffly. I'm notoriously clumsy that I can't seem to walk in a straight line. So when yet another person bumps into my shoulder, I apologise to him because it must be my fault that people keep knocking into me. However, the man who had collided with me doesn't even look back.

I make a turn through an alleyway, and I find myself on a road with considerably less people. It is here that I spot the tiny butcher's shop that I've been searching for. It is tucked away amongst other shops with brightly coloured signs, and no-one seems to be around. It is at this shop that I can buy my Dad's favourite cut of pork belly, so I don't mind making the detour even though Tochinigi is twenty minutes out of my way. As I approach the shop, I see an old woman sitting on a bench in front of it, and as I get closer to her I become aware that the woman has a dishevelled appearance. She has scraggly white hair that falls past her shoulders and is wearing a torn sweater with baggy grey pants, the kind that people used to wear during WW2. She is also holding what looks like ceremony beads, which she traces over rhythmically with her forefinger and thumb.

"Drive away the devils, welcome the blessings," she mutters to herself, and she repeats these words over and over.

Then, she stops abruptly and glares up at me.

"Stop gawking at me, girl!" she growls using an Okinawan dialect.

I'm startled by her sudden reaction, and I realise that I have stopped right in front her without thinking. I apologise and quickly avert my eyes from the woman. After I turn away, I hear the woman chanting again under her breath. Something about the way she chants leaves me feeling unsettled. She must be crazy, but something inside me makes me believe that there is something more to this woman. It is this feeling that makes me want to get away from her as quickly as possible. I briskly walk away from the woman and into the butcher's shop.

Inside the shop, the giant glass refrigerator that holds the different cuts of meat on sale hums softly. Shunichi-san, the butcher, is at the counter and as I enter the store he turns his attention away from the tiny square TV in the corner of the room.

"Ah Chihiro-chan. Welcome," beams Shunichi-san.

As I nod courteously to the butcher something catches in the corner of my eye. The bench outside gleams in the evening sun, and it is vacant.

_Where did the woman go?_

I try to ignore the shaky feeling in my stomach and point to the chosen meat that I want.

"Can I get that Butabara pre-sliced, please" I say.

The butcher nods politely and pries out the pink meat and cuts it up into the appropriate sections.

While I wait for the meat to be prepared, the evening news is broadcasting on the small television behind the counter. Once again Osamu Kankuro, the business mogul, is dominating the news. This time he is shaking hands with the mayor.

'_More jobs for struggling Japanese'_ says the headline underneath the two men.

"Together, let's move forward for our future's sake. For a better and more prosperous Japan," smiles the mayor.

"Rubbish! The land he got his greedy little hands on has been around for thousands of years, and he's going to destroy it without thought," growls the familiar voice of an old woman standing behind me.

I spin around to be confronted by the old woman's presence. Her face is stern, but she is not looking at me. There is a large burn on her left eye that had been mostly concealed under her hair. I wouldn't have seen it if I didn't have such a good view of her face now that she is watching the small television box intently.

_How had she gotten inside the store without making a sound? She must be quieter than a mouse. _

Then the woman speaks again, but I'm not sure if she is talking to me or to herself.

"Gone are the pure saplings of the earth. So sad, so disappointing, and in their place will sprout up these tradition-less daisies," she utters.

The woman speaks with an oddly formal inflection in her voice, and before I can compute a possible meaning for her words, she speaks again.

"Their tentacles are filled with poison ink, and they won't stop until they manage to permanently blacken every grain of sand," mutters the woman more rapidly this time.

I don't understand her Okinawan dialect or what she means.

"I don't understand w-what are you saying…" I stammer.

It wasn't my intention to speak aloud, but I can't stop myself. She turns to me with a knowing kind of look in her eyes and a wry smirk on her lips.

"Greedy and misguided humans will destroy the world for all of us, and then more and more displaced souls will roam around in places where they don't belong. Wait and see, you'll come in contact with some of them soon enough…"

"Argh! Get! Get out! How many times do I have to make you leave my store today?" shouts Shunichi-san.

Shunichi-san runs out from behind the counter and is holding a broomstick over his head menacingly. He charges at the woman who hisses out a curse. She looks quite affronted by Shunichi-san's aggressive behaviour but leaves through the front door on her own accord.

.

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_Next Chapter: Echoes from the Other World_


	4. Chapter 4 Echoes from the Other World

_AN: For those who are curious about how I visualise the characters. I drew pictures of Chihiro and Inoue & Kei-chan. __You can view these drawings by clicking on my profile and then clicking on the links on the page. __Later I'll do a drawing of older Haku when he comes in the story…_

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**Beneath the River's Surface - First Part: Before Death**

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Chapter 4 – Echoes from the Other World.

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"Mmm, Butabara Curry," Dad grunts approvingly.

My parents and I are acting like a proper family for the first time in many weeks. I'm astounded that the atmosphere between them feels lighter than usual, but I have a nagging suspicion that they are making a special effort to get along for my sake. Even so, it feels nice to sit together without having to detect animosity.

"She sure doesn't get her cooking skills from you, right Ma," Dad teases my Mother.

We all laugh at the thought of my Mother somehow managing to cause steamed dumplings to catch on fire. A story told many times at extended family gatherings.

"Hey, did you hear that the new Kankuro development project is going to extend all the way to that place in Ginyama Prefecture?" Dad says, changing the course of the discussion.

_The name…sounds kind of familiar, I guess. _

"Ginyama prefecture?" I inquire.

Dad shoots me an incredulous look and says, "You don't remember that place? You used to talk about it all the time….The place with the old broken down theme park?"

I get a nagging feeling in my chest, very similar to the feeling I had earlier about that crazy old lady, so I mull over my Father's words for a second.

"No, I don't think I remember such a place," I declare.

My parents look at each other in confusion.

"Remember when you were eleven? We had just moved here, and that place was all you ever talked about for many months. You even begged Daddy to take you back to visit it. But there is nothing there, just the same abandoned theme park surrounded by tall grass," says Mum.

"Really? I don't remember any of this…"

Then something flashes in my memory, first comes the scent of dust, then a cold wind ruffling through my hair, and I see a foreboding tunnel stretching out in front of me. A chill goes up my spine, and I suck in a sharp breath.

Dad interrupts my thoughts, "Oh, well it doesn't matter anymore because that area belongs to Kankuro now. Soon they will build new factories, and that means more jobs and more revenue for the economy."

I feel dazed, but I just nod at my parents. My mind is still trying to piece together a stubborn memory that I feel has been hidden away. There are brain sparks that don't lead anywhere. I can't seem to put my finger on it, but there is something that my brain is keeping concealed from me. The more I keep trying to break down this barrier the more leeway I feel I'll make.

.

I'm sprawled out on the fragrant green grass of the soccer field adjacent to the school courtyard, and I'm waiting for Kei-chan and Inoue-san so we can walk home together. The glare of the sun is making me squint and it feels warm on my skin so I don't bother to move except to pull down my knee high socks, which I'm vaguely worried will be covered in grass stains. For some reason I feel heavy. I'm not entirely sure of the cause, but it feels like the earth is pulling me towards it like a magnet. Maybe I feel this way because I've been looking at everything upside down for the last couple of minutes.

With one eye still closed, I lazily glance over at a group of girls sitting in a circle on the grass a few metres in front of me. Four girls with long unnaturally wavy hair in different auburn hues are talking loudly. One of them flicks back her long hair and sits up on her knees. She calls over a group of boys, and as she does this her friend tugs nervously at her sweater.

"Hanako, stop please…," begs the friend.

The other girls in the group giggle amongst themselves, and it's not long before the girl named Hanako is playing matchmaker for her friend and one of the boys. My stomach churns when I think about how I had reacted to Kibayashi-san. It's normal for people to be asked out, so I can't really understand why I had reacted with such panic.

"I hope you weren't falling asleep out here, Chihiro-sempai. You'd get nasty sunburn."

Kei-chan's shadow blocks the light that falls on my face. It takes a second to adjust my eyes, so I squint up at him. His big brown eyes sparkle mischievously as he smirks. Somehow he had managed to get grass stains on his school uniform, and I guess that he had spent the morning playing with some grade schoolers in the park again.

Kei-chan pulls me onto my feet. It feels Inoue-san is standing behind us quietly, and her face is perfectly poised like an ivory Noh mask. Every single person standing around the girl named Hanako is stealing glances at Inoue-san, who looks like a porcelain doll today with her long black hair flowing down her back in sheets of silk . But as usual, Inoue-san is oblivious to the attention because she is watching something far off on the horizon or perhaps she is just lost in thought again.

I link arms with Kei-chan who seems to be in a good mood today because a very cute girl in his year had spoken to him, and he can't stop telling me everything about her. When we reach the gate, I see Kibayashi-san standing there. He looks like he's waiting for a car to pick him up. I pull out his wallet from my school bag. I had been looking for him all day so that he could return it.

"You go on ahead. I need to do something," I say to Kei-chan who is now peering at me curiously.

Kibayashi-san looks menacing with his black hair all spiked up and the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows. His music player is blaring loudly, and I'm hesitant to disturb him. But I still have possession of his wallet, so I force myself to speak.

"U-um excuse me, Kibayashi-san," I murmur whilst tugging on the sleeve of his shirt.

I startle him, and he drops his bag onto the ground causing all of his books and papers to spill out. I hastily help him to retrieve his papers before an impish breeze could carry them away. Many people around us grin, and I feel bad for surprising Kibayashi-san.

"O-ogino-san…" he splutters.

Unsure of what to do, I hold out the wallet and bow very deeply so that my ponytail flips over and falls messily over my face.

"You dropped your wallet yesterday. I just wanted to return it," I mumble under my mop of hair.

I slowly look up to see his face which is once again crimson with embarrassment. His expression leaves me feeling uncertain of myself.

"O-oh! Thanks," he mutters uncomfortably.

Kibayashi-san gives me an awkward bow and walks away quickly before realising that he is waiting for someone to pick him up. The people still loitering around the front gate comment in whispers and laugh at our awkwardness. Not wanting to cause anymore discomfort between us, I bid him farewell and hurry to catch up to Inoue-san.

I avoid Kei-chan's brilliant smirk and look straight ahead.

"So~ how are things going with stalker boy," he teases.

I sigh with my face hidden in my hands.

"Kibayashi-san isn't a stalker. I think that he is just too shy to come up and say something...and when he did come up to say something to me I was so blunt."

"What? Did he ask you out? When did this happen? Why did you turn him down?" exclaims Kei-chan.

He pulls away my hands so I can't hide behind them any longer. I feel slightly assaulted by his questions, but I try to answer sincerely.

"Well I don't know I guess… I'm not ready for that kind of thing," I confess.

I stop for a moment and rub my head. I don't like thinking about it too much. It makes me feel dizzy.

"Aw, that's so cute!" Kei-chan laughs.

I roll my eyes, and I feel glad that Inoue-san never discusses such unnecessary things.

.

We have now reached Kinsebuki ward where a row of neat little houses seem to climb progressively up the steep hill. We watch out for cars as we walk along the road that had been cut into the side of that hill. Every time we walk this way I wonder how they had managed to cut into a hill. It looks so unnatural that I guess it would have been difficult to do, but mankind manages to bend nature's will. This is just another example.

Kei-chan hears the yowling of a dog and runs ahead of us to investigate. He stops next to a house surrounded by a vine covered fence, and he picks up a long stick. Kei-chan then hoists himself halfway onto the fence so he can reach over it and pat the dog. I let out a sigh. Kei-chan really loves animals.

"Do you want the owners to come out and see you hanging over their fence?" calls Inoue-san with a disapproving tone.

"Shuddup. The puppy is lonely, and his owners don't ever play with him," protests Kei-chan.

"Huh? How did you know all that? Did you ask the dog?" I marvel.

Kei-chan looks over at me with one eyebrow raised

"Heh? Oh… I just know this kind of stuff." He tells me.

"Keisuke stop playing around!" bellows Inoue-san impatiently.

Her raised voice startles me, and I jump. Inoue-san is facing away from us with her hand raised silently. Even after the unexpected outburst she still possesses a certain deadly grace but even so, I can tell that she is tense. She seems to be searching for something or someone in front of her. But there is nobody around here other than us.

"Come on, let's just keep walking," she says with a stern tone.

Inoue-san catches my arm and firmly pulls me along the road. At first I'm too confused to react because I'm not used to Inoue-san acting in such a way. I'm still astonished by the sudden change in her behaviour. I've never seen Inoue-san so panicked before. In fact, seeing her like this really frightens me.

"What's the matter Inoue-san?" I ask meekly.

Inoue-san doesn't answer me but stops abruptly and drops my hand. She turns to face Kei-chan, who is still clinging to the fence. He and Inoue-san exchange a look that I don't comprehend at all.

_What is going on? Why are they ignoring me?_

"Geez, you guys! What's going on?" I blurt out anxiously.

A howling wind picks up out of nowhere, and a tingling sensation crawls up my spine. Without even realising it before, I notice how the sky had changed. Literally minutes earlier I was bathing in warm sun rays, and now turbulent grey clouds are churning above us like rolling waves. Kei-chan jumps down from the wall and stands next to Inoue-san.

"You feel that?" Kei-chan mumbles to Inoue-san who nods automatically.

"Let's go Chihiro-sempai!" Kei-chan calls to me. His voice sounds strained, and my confusion is beginning to mingle with frustration.

"No! I'm not moving from this spot. You are both acting strangely," I yell stubbornly.

My two best friends turn to look at me and they are wearing serious expressions that I have never recognised before. They look like two people that I don't know. I can sense that they are hiding something from me, but I have no idea what _it_ is and I'm too dazed and confused to even try to understand.

Then, without warning, I notice how the ground seems to rumble underneath me. Before I get the chance to explore this thought further I become transfixed with something that looks like a large shadow moving quickly across the bitumen. The black shadow is the size of a car but it moves even faster. A Monsoonal gust of wind blows past Inoue-san and Kei-chan, and they are tossed like rag dollsto either sides of the road. The shadow then charges headlong and crashes into me. The feeling is like being slammed into a concrete wall, and I am sent hurtling across the rough bitumen road.

"Chihiro!" I hear Kei-chan shout, but I can't look up.

I'm winded, and I can barely take in a breath, let alone try to comprehend everything at once. My elbows and knees are without a doubt, scraped and bleeding.

Then I hear something...

...breathing around me.

The sound reminds me of some sort of wild beast. I can't see it, but I know that something is there. The shadow grabs a hold of my wrists, and it feels like two metal vices are clamped around them. Immediately I start to feel like this formidable thing is zapping all of my energy.

"Stop it! You are hurting me," I beg.

I try to squirm out of its clutches to no avail. The pain becomes excruciating in a space of just a few seconds. It's so much to bear that I begin to see stars. Then I recognize a figure moving purposefully toward the imperceptible beast.

It is Inoue-san.

"Leave her! You have no business with this girl," calls Inoue-san with a note of authority in her voice.

Her long black hair seems to whip violently around her face, seized by the wind. Inoue-san murmurs a few words while holding out her right hand, and then a shimmering Katana sword materialises before my astonished eyes. Inoue-san quickens her pace and launches into the air with one powerful leap. She raises the sword over her head and brings it down on the beast with immense force like a lightening strike. The sword seems to connect with its invisible hide. The metal clamps imprisoning my wrists loosen and a guttural snarl erupts over the hillside.

The semi-transparent outline of a three horned, ox-like beast begins to solidify. I finally see the creature for what it truly is. It has a frightening body made up of muscles and fur. The creature's mad eyes point into different directions, and they can't seem to focus on anything at all. I gasp when I notice the Chinese characters for vengeance carved into the beast's forehead. The beast abandons me, crumpled on the ground and turns to face Inoue-san. It snarls at her threateningly, and she retaliates by twisting the blade so quickly that I can't see it for a second. But I can hear the perfect "Ka-ching" resonating over the sound of another primal roar.

The beast turns around, and on all four legs it hurtles down the hillside in three huge bounds, disappearing out of sight.

Kei-chan kneels down beside me. He grabs my face, and I know that he must be shouting my name but it sounds faint. I can barely hear his voice over my own heart beat, which is pounding in my chest. I try to stand, but my legs feel like jelly. Kei-chan prevents me from standing anyhow, but he is still tapping my face, trying to get my attention. I only manage to stare at him dumbly.

_Why doesn't he look as disturbed as I feel? _

I start to find it difficult to keep my head up because a heavy sensation is weighing it down. All I can think about is that I just don't have the energy to hold my own head up. Then Kei-chan's face disappears into a blur of golden and brown hues until everything goes black…

.

.

.

The first thing I notice as I come to is that I'm lying on my back in an unfamiliar bed with crisp sheets that crinkle under my fingertips. I open my eyes and see a man in a light green uniform standing next to me with a clipboard. He looks like…

_a doctor?_

My eyes dart around quickly, and I take in the fact that I am in a hospital bed. The man speaks clearly to me.

"Just relax. Everything is ok, but you are in the hospital because you've been hit by a car. Do you remember your name?" he asks.

_Huh?_

"Ah, Chi-Chihiro Ogino," I blurt out.

"Very good. Your friends tell me they saw you land on your head, so we need to do a couple of might have a possible brain concussion."

_HUH?_

.

.

.

* * *

Chapter 5: In the End


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